There is a saying in Hindi that says “Without asking you get pearls but upon asking you do not even get alms,”which means that when we perform our work, duties and responsibilities without expecting anything in return, whether compensation or reward, then the giver gives us much more than what we would have asked or expected for.
When we ask for something from somebody then we ask based on our own assessment of what is right, what is just and what is reasonable but when we make the other person happy with our work, duties and responsibilities then the other person gives us based on the level of his happiness. When our objective is to make people happy then we give them utmost happiness and in utmost happiness they also give us the utmost reward. But when our objective is to do only the required work or duty for compensation or reward then our focus is not on giving happiness but is on the reward, and in the process we may not be able to give utmost happiness and satisfaction through our work. The reward, we would ask for our work, would be based on the amount of our work and not on the amount of happiness and satisfaction we gave.
Once, a small child went to a shop with his mother. While the mother was shopping, the shop keeper asked the child to take chocolates from the bottle placed nearby on the cashier counter. The child did not react, did not move from his place and did not take any chocolate. The shop keeper was surprised at such behavior of the child. He smilingly once again asked the child to take as many chocolates as he wants. Now the mother also heard that and said “take the sweets dear, as uncle is himself asking you to take!” Yet the child didn’t take any sweets. The shopkeeper, seeing the child not taking the sweets, himself took the sweets and gave them to the child. The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets.
While returning home the Mother asked the child “Why didn’t you take sweets, when the shop keeper told you to take?”
The child replied saying, “Mom! My hands are very small and if I would have taken the sweets myself, I could have taken few. But now you see, when uncle gave me sweets, he gave me with his big hands and because of that I got many more sweets!”
Moral of the story is when we ask or take we may get little because of our restricted capability but when God gives, He gives us plenty, bountiful, abundant and beyond our expectations. Sometimes, even more than what we can hold. So, one should surrender to the will of God and accept whatever he gives with gratitude and joy.
Sadguru Rameshji is a modern age spiritual guru and the force behind Poorna Ananda, a Hyderabad-based centre for spiritual evolution and joyful living. He can be contacted at www.poornaananda.org
